About the job

Job summary

We encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates   

At DfE, we are proud of the commitment we make to diversity and inclusion and of the progress we have made. We have active & vibrant staff networks, special leave policies and workplace adjustments put in place for those who need them. We are continuing to build a diverse DfE, in an inclusive environment which nurtures and realises potential in all, at all levels.  

Equality and Diversity - Department for Education 

We are advertising for a Private Secretary and Diary Manager to the Director General of Skills Group. This is an exciting opportunity to work in the heart of government on high profile and exciting policy areas.  

As Private Secretary/Diary Manager, the successful candidate will provide direct support to the Director General of Skills Group in their interactions with policy teams, Ministers, and external stakeholders.  

The postholder will have the opportunity to be involved in some of the most high-profile policy areas that the Department holds.  

The successful applicant will be joining a small and friendly private office and Group Support Team and will have an opportunity to involve themselves in a range of different policy areas related to Skills Group.

Job description

The Private Secretary and Diary Manager role is responsible for supporting the Private Office (PO) team to deliver proactive, efficient and effective support to the Director General alongside continuous improvement.  

This role is split into three main responsibilities:

Diary Manager: 

• Support the Director General in their interactions with policy teams, supporting them in a wide range of meetings and events, and ensuring that their directions are implemented effectively.  
• Management of the Director General’s diary and inbox, including commissioning and responding to emails on Director General’s behalf.  
• Supporting effective prioritisation of the Director General’s time to ensure that they are able to clear items accordingly. 
• Develop and deliver a programme of visits for the Director General to secure meaningful visits aligned to business aims and increase visibility across Skills Group, and the sector. 
• Provide on-going support to the Director General by preparing weekly briefings/action lists that help the Director General stay on track in delivering their objectives. 
• Coordination of commissions for Director General external stakeholder meetings, including sourcing more information working often to tight deadlines. 
• Establish, maintain and support Group Director, Minister and Permanent Secretary meetings. Ensuring the Director General is well briefed at all times and supported at meetings, engagements and visits. 
• Advise Skills Group on ways of working with the Director General and private office, including providing difficult feedback constructively to promote further improvements across the Group. 

Office Manager: 

• Leading office management to ensure that underlying services are working effectively to facilitate team working. 
• Lead on Director General corporate roles which includes LGBT+ network, Women’s network and Menopause network.  
• Embed and embody the culture of DfE and Skills Group and support the Head of the Group Support Team in creating a positive workplace culture in the Directorate.   

Private Secretary: 

• Lead contact for a Directorate in the Skills Group DG Private Office. 
• Providing support in meetings that relate to the policy area you are responsible for. 
• Liaise with the Director/their office on pressing issues in relation to the policy area. 

Additionally, there is an ‘out of hours/on call’ service, which does mean being contactable out of hours approximately one week in every three weeks which comes with an on-call allowance. 

The Skills Group Support Team works at pace and is a team that pulls together and works flexibly to get actions completed often to very short deadlines. 

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Excellent organisational skills and ability to prioritise competing priorities effectively to resolve difficult issues. 
• Strong inter-personal skills, and ability to communicate effectively and build relationships with colleagues and stakeholders at all levels which includes private  offices and a broad range of stakeholders in DfE and across Government. 
• Strong ability to solve problems and use their own initiative to come up with creative solutions and resolve issues independently.  
•  Work effectively in a team, being flexible and adaptable to support the wider team and division and complete all work to a high standard. 

Benefits

Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.

As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK, with an average employer contribution of 27%.

You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King's Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.

We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.

Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role. 

Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.  

As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Strengths and Experience.

Application 

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Strengths and Experience.

At the application stage, we will assess experience. Candidates will be sifted through their CV and Personal Statement. 

Candidates should submit an anonymised personal statement of no more than 750 words, which outlines how they have demonstrated the essential criteria described above and why they are suitable for the role. 

Sift 

The CV and statement will be assessed against the essential criteria detailed in the advert. 

Interview  

The interview will be held on Microsoft Teams. At the interview stage, candidates will be assessed against the essential criteria listed in this advert, using Success Profile strengths and experience questions. 

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview. 

Sift date to be confirmed. Interviews will likely take place W/c 8th January. 

Other Information 

We reserve the right to raise the minimum pass mark in the event of a high volume or strong field of candidates. 

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas. 

The government is committed to supporting apprenticeships, enabling people to learn and progress in a role whilst earning. We want to monitor the number of people who have completed apprenticeships who are now applying to progress further in their career and are asking this question to all candidates, on all vacancies. You will be asked a question as part of the application process about any previous apprenticeships you have completed. Your response to this question will not affect your application and it is not a requirement of the role to have completed a previous apprenticeship.    

DfE cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DfE holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify. 

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe carried out. 

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Department of Education of your intention by emailing Pre-Employment.Checks.DFE@education.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. 

Department for Education do not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated. 

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. 

Candidates will be posted in merit order based upon location preference. Where more than one location is advertised you will be asked to state your preferred location. 

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band. 

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. 

Terms and conditions of candidates transferring from ALBs and NDPBs 

Bodies that are not accredited by the Civil Service Commission and are not able to advertise at Across Government on Civil Service jobs will be treated as external new starters and will come into DfE on modernised terms and conditions with a salary at the band minimum. 

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission but do not have civil service status will be offered modernised terms and will not have continuous service recognised for leave or sickness benefits. Salaries should be offered at band minimum, but there is some flexibility where this would cause a detriment to the individual. 

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission and do have Civil Service status will be treated as OGD transfers. Staff appointed on lateral transfer will move on to pre-modernised DfE terms (unless they were on modernised terms in their previous organisation). Staff appointed on promotion will move on to modernised DfE terms. Staff will transfer over on their existing salary (on lateral transfer) and any pay above the DfE pay band maximum will be paid as a mark time allowance. Staff moving on promotion will have their salaries calculated using the principles set out in the attached OGD transfer supplementary information. 

Reasonable adjustment 

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: 

Contact Department of Education via centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. 

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional. 

Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/ 

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.